Canada has a population of what, 1/10th the US...I'm not sure if that figures into the stats but it seems less people waiting for medical help could mean longer life spans

I don't know where you are going with this..... BUT.

okay yes, population does fit into the stats, thats why its called AVERAGE life span.

secondly, SO? if we have 1/10 the population, then assuming simple divison, we probably have less 1/10th the total amount of doctors you have...

BUT, not everything is so simple. According to stats (http://www.who.int/whosis/whostat/EN_WHS09_Table6.pdf): we have 19 doctors per 10,000 people, and the U.S has 26 doctors per 10,000 people...We have less doctors then you!!! so if anything OUR wait times should be longer (which it is, im some regards), which by your questioning should mean WE should have SHORTER life spans...but we dont.

How does that compare to the cost of living? Considering all of the factors do the doctors there get paid more than in the states? How is the research there? Is it well funded?

~Amy

Excellent questions....

hmmm, there was a link i saw once from an economics journal....ill try and find it again. If I recall correctly, doctors here do have a bit of a lower standard of living. But, again... my eldest cousin (the radiologist), lives in a 3 million dollar home, has a benz, pool and lives in a gate community. And works 50 hrs a week.....and his sisters are doing roughly the same. I dont think its too bad.. But i certainly agree with you, that the potential to make more is in the states....but if you are only about making money, should you really be a doctor in the 1st place?

Research wise, well I am proof of that. I am phD student. Our labs are very well funded, both from the government and from private companies. Many big players like: pfizer, merck, glaxosmith klien, bristol-meyers squib have labs here specifically for research as we have some relatively 'relaxed' policies. They also offer alot of funding. In fact, many of the clincals trials go on at the canadian companies, before they decide to do clinicals in the states for FDA approval (we dont have as many anti-animal experiment people).

I have several doctors in my family. So I can throw a few out there.......

1 have one cousin whose a radiologist---hes pulling in about 450K. His two sisters are also physicans. Ones and endocrinologist, she makes about 210K, and the youngest sister is a pathologist, she makes around 190k (but shes fresh out of residency as well).

what do you think they get paid, nickels and dimes?

Just asking questions man, settle down. I didn't know if Canadian doctors were paid as well as American ones.

okay yes, population does fit into the stats, thats why its called AVERAGE life span.

secondly, SO? if we have 1/10 the population, then assuming simple divison, we probably have less 1/10th the total amount of doctors you have...

BUT, not everything is so simple. According to stats (http://www.who.int/whosis/whostat/EN_WHS09_Table6.pdf): we have 19 doctors per 10,000 people, and the U.S has 26 doctors per 10,000 people...We have less doctors then you!!! so if anything OUR wait times should be longer (which it is, im some regards), which by your questioning should mean WE should have SHORTER life spans...but we dont.

Just asking questions man, settle down. I didn't know if Canadian doctors were paid as well as American ones.

Are they paid through taxes?

Well here is how it works. Every doctor/hospital/clinic etc etc is actually PRIVATE. I bet thats word you never thought you would hear coming out of the canadian health care system.

Lets assume a family medicine practice (its the easiest). What happens is....i go see a doctor....he treats me...he doesnt answer to anyone, he does whatever he/she feels is in my best interest, and doesnt call someone to ask for permission first (i heard some people think thats how it works). At the end of the day, he will tally how many patients he sees and get a number. He then submits that number to the government, and based on how many patients he saw, the government will re-emburse him. A family doc does pretty well, i have never heard of one pulling down less that 160 K.

Now where does the government get that money....the beauty that is TAXES!!!!

So, based on how much you make a year, some standardized percentage (it will be more if you make more, less if you make less) will get taken out to finance this, to pay doctors....and nurses, and physio therapists and chiropractors (to an extent). And even if you are un-employed, and dont pay taxes, you still get the exact same coverage I get.....to me, i love that idea, but thats me.

Basically, you pay from your means, and you receive by your needs...if that makes sense..

Sorry I didnt mean to get rowled up. I just cant stand when US media constantly bashes us, and makes it seem like we are incompetent or something....

That the million dollar questions man. I dont know why it always comes down to: our health care vs your health care.....there is a multitude of factors. How do we live, what we do, personal choices.

In the end, all of these do come back down to, can you get treated? I mean, obiously as a canadian, i have a bias. I love my system. Sure it has flaws, but what system doesnt? perfection is impossible.

I dont know all of what Obama wants to do with his proposed health care plan.... but i see it on ABC/NBC/CBS news all the time.... old folks acting like if they had a system like ours...thats it, they are dead!!!

Let me tell you, my grandmother (aged, 70...maybe i shouldnt have said that ,lol), had to to have major eye surgery from diabetes complications. she saw the opthamologist on a wednesday, had surgery saturday. Her cost? the gas to get to the hospital.

It might be one indicator; but I think diet, activity level, stress levels, and genetics would play the biggest part.

Besides, it's about quality of life, not quantity. I'd rather live one year in a free country than 100 years in a socialist dictatorship.

So if I am reading you right...(I minored in reading people)

Since we may not have better health care than you....the reason we live longer is because: 1) we have better diets, 2) we handle our stress better, 3) we have better activity levels than you and are more fit, 4) and we have better genetics............... geeze, we must have a GREAT quality of life then...i never looked at it like that before.

I have never felt so proud to be a canadian. Thank you my american friend.